Four people were slightly injured as a fire broke out at the Motor Oil refinery complex near the city of Corinth, 70 km west of Athens, local authorities said.

The fire was brought under control shortly after sunset, but firefighters would continue working overnight to extinguish remaining hotspots and prevent the risk of reignition, said the fire brigade on Tuesday.

Earlier in the day, authorities advised residents in the area to evacuate as a precaution, following an explosion at the facilities, news agency reported.

A thick plume of black smoke spread over the area, disrupting traffic near the refinery.

The average overall price of land in Japan as of July 1 rose 1.4 per cent from the previous year, marking the third consecutive year of advance, government data showed Tuesday.

The prices for commercial land climbed 2.4 per cent and those for residential land 0.9 per cent, both advancing for the third straight year and at the sharpest pace since 1992, when land prices tumbled as the country's asset-inflated bubble burst, according to a report released by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.

In Japan's three largest metropolitan areas of Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka, residential land prices have risen for three consecutive years and commercial land prices for 12 years, the report said,news agency reported.

Regional land prices also rose for the second year in a row, with residential land prices up 0.1 per cent and commercial land prices up 0.9 per cent.

The central bank of Bangladesh Tuesday said the country has around 20 billion US dollars in net foreign exchange reserves.

"According to the latest data, foreign exchange reserves amount to 24.3 billion dollars. It is close to 20 billion dollars according to the Balance of Payments and International Investment Position Manual (BPM6) calculation standard of the International Monetary Fund (IMF)," Husne Ara Shikha, Bangladesh Bank spokesperson and Executive Director, said in a statement on Tuesday.

Since last year, Bangladesh's net reserve, which represents readily available cash from gross reserves, is calculated excluding short-term liabilities from gross reserve as per IMF formula based on the BPM6.

For a growing economy like Bangladesh, forex reserves equivalent to six months' import bills are considered adequate. With the existing reserves, however, officials said Bangladesh is in a position to pay some four months' import bills.

Kenya on Tuesday published a performance benchmarking study report for energy-consuming facilities to reduce greenhouse emissions in the country.

Daniel Kiptoo Bargoria, Director-General of the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority, told journalists in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, that the study targeted the cement, sugar, tea, dairy, flower sectors, fast-moving consumer goods and hospitality sectors.

"The study is central to our collective efforts on improving energy efficiency in our industries and other businesses," Kiptoo said, news agency reported.

According to the study, some of the industries performed poorly in terms of energy use index, while others performed better compared to other jurisdictions.

Attempts by terrorists to attack a gendarmerie complex in Bamako, the capital of Mali, have been thwarted and the situation is under control, the Malian Ministry of Security and Civil Protection said Tuesday.

"This morning at dawn, sensitive points in the capital were targeted by terrorist attacks, in particular the gendarmerie schools in Faladie," said the ministry. "The strong reaction of the defense and security forces made it possible to repel these attacks."

The ministry reassured the population that "the situation is fully under control" and urged them to go about their business freely, news agency reported.

The Lebanese army said it received a $15 million donation from the Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD) on Tuesday.

The financial donation will be used to provide fuel for the army for three months, enhancing its ability to confront the increasing security challenges in light of Lebanon's dire economic conditions,news agency reported, citing an army statement.

In a meeting with Qatari Ambassador to Lebanon Sheikh Saud bin Abdul Rahman Al-Thani and Sultan Al-Aseeri, deputy director general of QFFD, Lebanese Army Commander Joseph Aoun expressed appreciation for "this grant, which comes in the context of the continuous initiatives by the State of Qatar, in commitment to the fraternal relations between the two sides, and to support Lebanon's security and stability during the current exceptional circumstances".

The Lebanese army has been heavily impacted by a lingering economic and financial crisis that hit the country in 2019. The crisis has caused a collapse of the Lebanese pound and a devaluation of wages for public sector employees, including military personnel.

The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) said it has approved a grant of $6.6 million to strengthen Somalia's financial architecture for inclusive and equitable growth.

AfDB said in a statement issued on Monday that the Somalia Financial Sector Development Project will also enhance financial sector expertise through targeted training and assistance.

The project will focus on improving the capacity of financial institutions, including the Central Bank of Somalia, the Somali Development and Reconstruction Bank, and the Financial Reporting Center, to formulate efficient credit delivery and implement anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing measures, news agency reported.

Three people, including a pilot and two passengers, were killed in a helicopter crash in the Amur region of Russia's Far East, rescuers confirmed on Tuesday.

According to local emergency services in the Zeya District, the Robinson R66 helicopter, which went missing on Monday, was located near the spot where its emergency beacon was activated. "The helicopter has been found, and all three aboard are confirmed dead," an official stated.

Preliminary reports show that the helicopter's emergency beacon signal was received on Monday evening before a search and rescue operation involving around 20 personnel and seven equipment units was launched.

India on Tuesday dispatched a consignment of 1,000 metric tonnes of rice to Namibia as humanitarian aid to address the food security needs of the drought-stricken African nation.

This initiative aligns with India's commitment to supporting the Global South.

"As a credible HADR (Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief) provider and a reliable friend, India is extending food grain assistance to the people of Namibia to strengthen their food security in the wake of recent droughts," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated in a post on X.

The consignment departed from Nhava Sheva Port on Tuesday.

Japan's weather agency said on Tuesday that a large tropical storm that is gaining strength may approach Okinawa prefecture and Amami region of Kagoshima prefecture in Japan on Wednesday.

As of 6 A.M. local time, tropical storm Pulasan was over waters near the Mariana Islands in the Pacific Ocean and was moving northwest at a speed of 30 km per hour (KMPH), the Japan Meteorological Agency reported.

The typhoon may come closest to Okinawa prefecture and the Amami region of Kagoshima prefecture on Wednesday, news agency reported.